We often complain that the “daily grind” consumes us, that we don’t have enough time in the day for ourselves to do more of the things we love, like cooking a nice meal, reading a good book or spending time with our loved ones. We agonize about finding the time when actually we all have the same 24 hours a day, and the same 168 hours a week. The only thing that changes is what we choose to do with that time. We long for time off. We long to dedicate time to our family and our hobbies, yet here we are, on what can be viewed as a “mandatory break” -- and many still find themselves struggling to take a break and take advantage of this time, simply because it’s a ‘break’ we didn’t choose….

As human beings, we have the tendency to believe that we have full control over our environment. That is obviously an illusion, as the universe is reminding us now. With imposed change we tend to struggle and resist, but this often leads to emotional futility and spiritual powerlessness.

This sudden break is an example of imposed change. We did not choose when or where or how this break happened. When we experience initiated change, we move freely and often joyfully into the Unknown. The Unknown is an adventure, it’s exciting and something to look forward to. With imposed change, the Unknown feels like a misadventure, something terrifying and something to avoid.

So how can we take this imposed change and create an initiated change for ourselves with this pandemic? How do we choose to step into this “new normal”?

Some important questions to ask yourself during this sudden break that’ll help shift your perspective and remind you that you always have a choice are:

1. How are you defining this time?
2. What are you choosing to do with this time?
3. Is this a time of opportunity for you? Is this a time of grief for you?
4. Is this a time to slow down or to be highly productive?

It’s in times like these that we can become free flowing again, if we choose that path. By maintaining a daily routine where you  allocate time to the things “you never have time for” and defining what this break truly signifies to you, you’ll begin to notice your surroundings align to your choice. If this sudden break is an opportunity for you to relax and enjoy simple pleasures you will begin to notice those simple pleasures. The beauty of this is that you get to define this, therefore, you can redefine it as often as you’d like!

Keep in mind, life is a marathon not a sprint, so let’s learn to pace ourselves through life and be kind to ourselves during this sudden break.